Cradle
by Simply Kim
Summary: Atobe was at the lowest point of his life. He stood in front of his gargantuan closet and realised that he had hit rock bottom... He didn't have anything to wear.


**TITLE:** Cradle

**PART:** One-Shot

**AUTHOR:** Simply Kim

**PAIRING:** Atobe Keigo x Tezuka Kunimitsu

**FANDOM: **Tennis no Oujisama

**GENRE:** Shounen-Ai/Romance/Humour

**WORDS: **965 

**DISCLAIMER:** I don't own anything except this... fic. ;

**NOTE #1:** **Blah **or _**Blah **_is for emphasis. _**/Blah/**_is for conversations over the phone or flashbacks (if any). _/Blah/_ is for the conscience or whatever inner voice there is talking. _Blah _is for thoughts or random Japanese words.

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**CRADLE**

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He was at the lowest point in his life.

Atobe Keigo stood at the door of his gargantuan closet and realised that he had hit rock bottom.

"I don't have anything to wear."

Technically speaking, it wouldn't be possible, considering the sheer amount of clothes folded and hung before his very eyes, spanning the entire closet that was as big as, or probably even bigger than, Hyoutei's computer laboratory. But seeing that Atobe Keigo, Hyoutei Emperor Extraordinaire, never wore clothes twice, he was now at a loss.

And he was supposed to go somewhere nice too.

_Oh, my love, woe is me who pledged to become your most beautiful night in shining armour on your special day!_ He thought desperately, racking his brains as to what he should do. _Alas, Ore-sama has to make do with clothes worn on a date with you once – Ore-sama wishes for your utter kindness and understanding_…

Sighing dejectedly, he looked up at the ornate clock by the door and realised that he had spent most of the afternoon rooting for something to use. When he finally settled on soft first-grade white khakis and a blue button-down shirt, he hurriedly put them on and dashed to his vanity table to spritz on some perfume. However, the moment he came down and was sprinting out the front door, another problem surfaced.

As he screeched to a halt in front of the opened limousine door, the look of death descended upon him as another earth-shattering realisation washed over him.

He didn't have a gift.

After slaving inside his closet, looking for clothes, he had forgotten the most important thing of all – a token of his affection.

He paced… and paced… and paced.

And remembered he was on a date with someone who liked flowers just as much as he did. With a sudden feeling of elation, he slipped into the car and told the driver to stop by a flower shop – any flower shop between the Atobe Kingdom and the Nature Park.

He was about to congratulate himself for thinking quickly and efficiently enough to both make the one he adored so much happy, as well as save face for wearing something he had already worn on a date, when the limousine stopped abruptly. He was thrown forward, face meeting the carpeted floor briefly.

With almost feline grace, he picked himself up and took a handkerchief, wiping his face off of nonexistent dirt.

_Everything has to be perfect – oh no._

A sudden stinging sensation erupted, dead centre of his forehead.

_Oh no._ He thought. _On top of being scruffy, I now have a bruise on my face!_

And if that was not enough, after a few moments passed, the family chauffeur rolled the dividing window down and cleared his throat, offering him an apologetic smile. "Atobe-sama," He said sheepishly. "They don't have roses anymore."

"What am I gonna do…?" He murmured in horror.

"Oh, but they do have…"

And as the chauffeur filled him in, Atobe thought the whole thing didn't seem as much of a fiasco as he thought it was. 

**OxxxOxxxO**

"You're late."

Atobe cringed inwardly at the stern tone dealt him.

"I know." He said breezily, projecting himself as much as he could to cover his anxiety. _Would my clothing be criticised?_ He wondered warily. _Would I be spurned because I don't have the best thing to show my affections? Ah, Ore-sama is so disgraceful today – of all days!_ "I just believe in being fashionably late."

For the first time in his life, he realised he had hit whatever it was under rock bottom.

And he had no excuse for it but that lone sentence that caused all these unnecessary cover-ups.

_**I didn't have anything to wear.**_

He gritted his teeth as he gauged the other's expression. There was something he couldn't understand in those eyes as they gave him a 'once-over'.

"There's a red spot on your forehead."

"An insect bit me."

"I've seen you wear that outfit before."

"I happen to like this outfit."

"Those are gardenias in your hand."

"Variety is good."

There was a long moment of silence before a low chuckle reached Atobe's ears. His eyes widened as he realised it was coming from –

"Kunimitsu?"

Tezuka Kunimitsu walked over to him and touched the offended part of his face with careful fingers. Atobe flinched upon first contact as the stinging resurfaced, but as warm skin imprinted on his, the pain abated. It felt pleasant. "Take better care of yourself." He scolded softly.

The Seigaku captain's hands dropped and grasped his own, then, took the bouquet of the pristinely white flowers from them. He gazed at the pre-wrapped flora with something close to fondness before he looked back up at him.

And the corners of Tezuka's lips turned up in a semblance of a tender smile. "You went through a lot just to get here, didn't you?" He asked quietly. "You don't seem as composed as usual."

Atobe sighed and leant forward, burying his face in the crook of the bespectacled boy's neck. "Rub it in, why don't you?" He mumbled, voice cracking and muffled. "Ore-sama is already embarrassed beyond belief."

He felt those familiar warm fingers run through his hair, massaging his scalp in an effort to soothe him. He closed his eyes, savouring the moment. If only he hadn't made all those unnecessary mistakes, things would turn out to be even better…

"Why?"

"Why what?"

"Why are you embarrassed?"

He groaned, burying his face even deeper. "You know the answer to that, idiot."

"That's what I'm saying idiot." Tezuka fired back good-naturedly. "All I'm saying is you shouldn't be embarrassed at all." His arms twined around Atobe's body, enveloping him in a warm embrace.

Tezuka's lips grazed his ear as he shifted.

"Because you're here… you didn't forget."

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**ENDE**

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_**A/N:** Feedbacks are greatly appreciated!_


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